BIYA BIYA School of Music is back!
Join BIYA BIYA for our second Maqam Workshop! We've refreshed our interactive session where musicians will learn the language and basics of maqam.
This beginner-friendly course introduces the fundamentals of maqam theory, including key concepts such as ajnas (building blocks of maqamat) and common iqa’at (rhythms). Students will dive into four maqamat and learn a classic piece from the standard repertoire. Taught by musicians Karl El Sokhn (aka Reckless Darling) and C Mikhail, you’ll learn and jam in a low-stakes environment, building on knowledge shared in our inaugural workshop.
🌹 ABOUT THE WORKSHOP 🌹
No prior knowledge of Arabic music is required! This workshop is ideal for musicians curious about the expressive depth of maqam. The ability to either read sheet music or learn by ear is strongly encouraged. Please bring your preferred instrument: Eastern, Western, fretless, microtonal— it doesn’t matter. Come with an open mind and be ready to jam and share music with your workshop partners!
🌹 ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTORS 🌹
Karl El Sokhn aka Reckless Darling is a Lebanese multi-instrumentalist. His approach to musical performances is fluid, open-minded, and versatile. He is the drummer for the Chicago Reader’s best emerging band of 2024 Billy Joel Jr., the guitarist for the Middle East Music Ensemble, and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist with TAYF.
C Mikhail (they/them) is an Assyrian-German-American musician and audio engineer based in Chicago. With a speciality in the Arab music tradition of maqam, they have become a coveted upright bassist in ensembles across the city like the Chicago Immigrant Orchestra and Sumoud Collective, and TAYF, which they founded.
A note on our pedagogy: Although our workshop centers instruments in learning about maqam, our 3 hour lesson serves to teach students components of music theory that can be applied to performing, jamming, or active listening.
Lite refreshments and sheet music provided.
FAQ: Did you attend our first Maqam Workshop for beginners? Here's what we've adjusted:
The session is LONGER, now clocking in at 3 hours (with two breaks).
The taqsim sequence is being moved to an advanced workshop offering.
Rhythms and ajna will be taught together with more fluidity.
We will spend 30 minutes on each maqamat.
The session culminates in group learning of a single song.